Active matrix liquid crystal displays (LCDs), e.g., thin film transistor (TFT) panels, can display images having a vertical frequency not greater than about 75 Hz due to physical limitations associated with the panel's glass. Some TFT panels can display images with vertical frequencies between 75 and 85 Hz. But those images must be vertically scaled before being displayed, severely distorting the image.
Computer video cards, for example, can output video images with extremely high vertical frequencies. These high frequency images are typically intended for cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors capable of displaying them and not TFT panels. If a user sets the computer into a high frequency video mode, a typical TFT panel will show a blank screen. The user, then, is left with a computer in a mode that he has little ability to change since he cannot navigate the computer settings without the panel's visual aid. Even if the user reboots his computer, most operating systems will likely start up in the mode exited. The user can replace the TFT display with a CRT monitor, but this solution is cumbersome, time consuming, and requires the user to have a spare CRT.
Accordingly, a need remains for a system and method for displaying high frequency images on a flat panel without using a frame buffer.